Letters: Potholes make Indy's streets life threatening

I have lived in Indianapolis most of my life, and the weather has not changed. Blaming Mother Nature for the condition of the streets is insulting. Years of neglect by the former and current mayors have resulted in roads that are not navigable and are life threatening.

In the past, I enjoyed going to brick and mortar stores, shops and restaurants. I now avoid driving unless absolutely necessary. Businesses must be suffering from the treacherous roads throughout the city. Online shopping avoids the risk one takes in trying to get anywhere.

Do the local politicians drive the same streets I do? What have they done with the tax dollars allocated for roads? I’d like to see the master transportation plan over the last 10 years. I’d also like to see an accounting of where the tax dollars allocated for paving and repairs went. Can this information be accessed online, or can it be published?

Report the potholes? They are everywhere, and I doubt most people have time to devote to the tens of thousands of craters encountered every day.

A shout out to my intrepid IndyStar carrier for getting my daily paper delivered despite the road deterioration and potholes.

Susie Dawson

Indianapolis

Billy Graham was a great lion

With full recognition that I am as about qualified to comment on the passing of Billy Graham as a mouse is to eulogize the death of a lion, I feel compelled to make these comments. As everyone knows, the great lion of God died Feb. 21 from complications of Parkinson’s disease. He was the Apostle Paul of the 20th century. He preached the gospel to more people in more nations than any mortal before him.

His message was profoundly simple and comes from the heart of the Bible. God hates sin but still loves us. He loves us in spite of our sins and rebellion. He wants all of us to go to heaven and not hell. Jesus said, “For God so loved the world (that’s us) that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” While God wants us to flee from sin and do good, we cannot make it to heaven by our own effort. It is like trying to swim the Pacific Ocean. There are undoubtedly many people outside the Christian faith who can swim farther out into the ocean than I, but none of us will make it to the celestial shore without the life line of Christ. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whosoever believes in Me shall not perish but shall have eternal life.”

This is what dear Billy preached. This is what I believe and this is what I hope that you believe or come to believe.

Every year the Indiana General Assembly launches an assault on reproductive health. And every year politicians pass measures to undermine women’s abilities to make decisions about their bodies.

This year, it’s Senate Bill (SB) 340 and Sen. Liz Brown trying to be Big Brother. This bill shames women with invasive reporting requirements to the state board of health and defines complications of abortion to include anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and sleep disorders, which are common with mental health issues and not with abortion.

Let me be clear; I experienced anxiety when I had an abortion. But my anxiety was caused by the government hoops that I had to jump through – not the abortion itself.

SB 340 does more harm and causes more anxiety for a woman experiencing an unplanned pregnancy. It keeps her from having say over who has access to information about herself, including her medical history, her demographics, and even the date of her last period.

It does not promote the safety of someone who decides to have an abortion. It shames and stigmatizes her.

Shame on you Indiana General Assembly for thinking you know better than a woman what is right for her and her body. Being Big Brother has got to stop.

Despite voices like mine rising up in opposition, SB 340 will go to the full House for a floor vote. If you care about women, you’ll call your legislators at (317) 232-9600 and ask them to vote no on this invasive legislation. We’ve come too far to go back into the shadows.

Haylee Brannon

Indianapolis

Put safety of children first

Like many Hoosiers, I am increasingly concerned by the epidemic of gun violence taking lives in schools, churches, and public gatherings. I have been inspired by the strength of the students and community in Broward County that are standing up to demand action, and I stand with them.

I urge Congress to put the safety of our communities and children first, above the interests of the gun manufacturer's lobbyists and money. Specifically, I ask Congress to oppose Concealed Carry Reciprocity and to support legislation to implement universal background checks and to ban assault weapons. These weapons have no purpose but to kill as efficiently as possible.

I am deeply committed to action on these issues. I will be voting for, financially supporting, and activating on behalf of representatives that support action on gun control.

Tim Tomlinson

Noblesville

Congress must act to end gun violence

I am an Indiana voter, mother and wife of a school teacher. The tragic events that unfolded at a high school in Florida are unacceptable. I refuse to accept raising my children in a society that views mass school shootings as normal or inevitable. We can do something. Our members of Congress need to use their voices to help enact gun reform. Our children should not have to fear being in school. Teens shouldn't have to walk over their friends' and teachers' dead bodies to get to safety. I shouldn't have to fear whether or not my husband, a teacher, will come home today or tomorrow. This has to stop. Our legislators need to stand up to the NRA and do something with the position we the people entrusted them. I will be watching how our members of Congress vote and use their voices on this issue, and I will be voting in 2018 and beyond accordingly.